Hardly rocket science - though some say otherwise - but I was doing this job yesterday, so thought a few photos might not go amiss. I bought the daily nail back in late 2006 and had in the back of my mind comments pre-purchase suggesting cambelt changes were a nightmare. Jobs such as locking the fuel pump in position apparently made it all further work of the devil. Not so. It's a piece of p*ss, so for those uncertain, here's the run down. Tools needed: - 19mm socket, long extension bar - 10mm long nose socket - set of allen sockets - preferably a socket gun - stubby screwdriver - blade screwdriver - water pump pliers - Torxs & 10mm ractchet to get the undertray off Easy stuff first: engine cover off. Secondly, lose the intake pipe - waterpump pliers: Leave the clips on the pipe, just an inch inwards, to avoid fighting with them later to get them back over the place they sit normally: Thirdly cambelt cover off. Two clips and a subby blade screwdriver needed to remove a centre screw. Pull the assoociated centre plastic insert out to avoid it dropping off when the cover comes off. Now the harder stuff. Clearly, being the work of the devil, these engines appear to have no TDC makers on them. Maybe there's one on the flywheel - no point in looking tbh. Create some: 1) cam sprocket: 2) fuel pump: 3) Bottom pulley: Now these are my marks from 4 years ago, so I've no idea if it is TDC or not. The main thing is the 10mm long nose socket: ... locks the fuel pump sprocket against a backing plate just fine: Having given the engine a whizz round on the 19mm socket on the crank sprocket centre nut a couple of times to check all marker points line up, time to delve in. No need to make this complicated, undoing PAS and alternator pivots... keep things simple... Firstly lever the serpentine tensioner off the alternator belt and take the belt off the alternator: Then & remove the 4 allen keys off the crank sprocket: A rattle gun makes it easy, but hammer the allen socket in and be careful if they don't yield straight away - have some Irwin Bolt Grippers in reserve for any misbehaviour! Lever the aux pullies off with a screwdriver ** noting the raised section of the pulley left behind and noting how this fits inside the inner pulley just taken off ** Cue one undone set of belt pullies, no tensioners touched at all Bin any Allens getting chewed up on removal - don't use again. Once off, take out two 10mm bolts which hold on the plastic guard around the lower cambelt area. Circle shows one, arrow points in rough direction of the other: Leave the water pump pulley and PAS pulleys ON, like so: Why? Because the cam belt can be got off and on like this: - no point in fighting with 6 more allen bolts if you don't need to Clean any crud off the top roller with a Stanley knife: Tensioner off & swap for new - OEM VAG manufacturer: .... is the same as the GSF items in this box: Feed the new belt in from below, take time to feed it all the way up, keep an eye on the marks moving. Feed the belt onto the fuel pump sprocket and up the back of the cam sprocket and you should be able to push it on from the rear side of the camshaft sprocket and still get the belt under the silver roller. If not, remove the silver roller and replace later. Tensioner tool: In use: (position of handle noted pre disassembly for guidance to likely tension point). Two turns of the engine required at this point to ensure the paint marks still line up The rest is literally reverse of removal. For ease of getting the alternator belt hooked back up, position a screwdriver to hold it in place whilst the tensioner is held with a screwdriver (pic earlier): PAS belt goes on when bolting up the four allens - it tensions itself back to where it was. Simples Cambelt tensioner: 33lb/ft 4 allens in bottom sprocket: 18lb/ft Time? 2 hours if that. If you're in more of hurry, you'll have it done in far less than that. If the Allens start playing up, be prepared to stop and get some new ones. This is a 15 year old car and they came straight off (again)
There is a TDC mark on the flywheel, there is a little plug to remove on the top of the bellhousing where you can see it. The cam is locked above this flywheel mark too with the rocker cover off, there is a notch in the end of it that you slot a bit of flat bar in to.
Thanks - I suspected the flywheel may have a mark - I may even have used that to get the TDC marker four years ago, but I forget! I don't think I took the camcover off, but if it did, this mark-up method appears to avoid the need entirely?
The guys on tdiclub.com and the bentley workshop manual stipulate that you lock the camshaft and the release the camsprocket from the camshaft as part of the fitting of a new timing belt. Some people on tdiclub.com have apparently had problems when others have used the markup method to replace the timing belt. But from what I can see as long as you are certain you have kept the same orientation between all parts there should be no problem. I would have replaced the top roller as well if you don't know when it was last changed. You should probably check your dynamic timing with vag-com now too if you want to ensure optimum running. Guide here for dynamic timing etc, this guide also does it the way with releasing the cam sprocket. http://www.tdiclub.com/articles/A3-TimingBelt
Good point - overlooked on this & the past change so time to bin it Will check the dynamic timing. Sounds complex!
It's not too bad to check if you have a full version of vag-com with the tdi timing tool, just plug in the vag-com and open the tdi timing section and it will tell you if its right or not, mine was in spec so didn't need adjusting. But it seems like adjustment isn't too hard if it does need doing.
Think the timing is adjusted on the pump. A friend used my vag-com to adjust for excess black smoke when changing to larger nozzles.
The only real advantage of removing the camcover and locking the cam with the bar is that you can loosen the cam sprocket which makes fitting the belt a little easier, as long as it's well marked it should be fine. Of course if the cam timing is out, say after the belt breaking, then you'll need the bar in the rear of the cam to set it up.
Well done on the write up, it's very good to have. The pump timing actually is very worth while to get done, Makes for sweeter running, better response and easier cold starting. Cheers
Could anyone add the timing process to this thread? I've yet to even get VAGcom working, operator fail I think!
I can screenshot the newer VCDS process in a couple of day's Chris. Actual adjustment is detailed here in section K. http://www.tdiclub.com/TDIFAQ/TDiFAQ-7.html#d
Never checked the very early type, makes sense that those can be adjusted simlar way to later type if not simpler way of doing it! Time to fire up the computer!!
VCDS screenshots of what to do shown here Chris Sorry, got sidetracked with other stuff but then saw this and it had screenshots for the timing. http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=3002839&postcount=8
Thanks - that's great. One for the list along with a family-sized pack of Annadin no doubt! I've had a VAGcom lead for a year now, tried to install it twice and given up! [:^(] I'm pretty sure this needs checking though - I can get the car into limp mode when cold just by giving it full throttle, so something isn't right.
I had a read through this, as I'm just starting the same job on the 1Z powered Audi 80 TDI. There are a few differences in layout, but a lot of it seems to be similar so far. I thought I'd add to this thread, as it'll probably be useful for anyone working on a longitudinally mounted engine. I bought the cambelt locking tools from GSF (about 15), and the cambelt kit, which includes the idler, tensioner, stud, belt - all OEM quality Ina bits (about 50 with CGTI discount) I could have probably made the cam lock tool, and used a socket for the pump locking pin, but I'd rather make sure I get it right, for the sake of 15. On pulling it apart, I've found that: There's not a lot of room down the front of the engine, so I've taken the radiator and fans out. There's an inspection window in the bellhousing, and a big '0' marked on the flywheel, so crank timing is easy. There don't seem to be any marks on the front pulley, but I've painted one on for future ref. When I got the Aux pulleys off the crank, there's a mark on the sprocket anyway, left by a previous mechanic. I assume the locking pin is holding the pump at TDC, so that seems to be right, and lines up with the paint marks. The layout of the Aux pulleys is different, so you only have to remove the Aux belts rather than the pulleys on the ancillaries (you still have to take the ones off the end of the crank) and then there are 3 fasteners (2 bolts, 1 nut) to take the bottom cover off. There's a notch on the pump pulley, but it doesn't seem to line up with anything. Interesting things I've noticed on the stripdown. The allen bolts holding the pulleys onto the crank sprocket were barely more than finger tight - no resistance at all with the ratchet... nice to know the last job was done by a Pro!! The paint mark on the cam pulley made by a previous mechanic doesn't line up when the one on the pump pulley lines up, and the locking pin is in at that point. I'm going to pull the cam cover off for a look, but the way the car pulls, I think it's just a dud paint mark. Questions Do these cam pulleys have a woodruff key? Maybe I should stop and check that it hasn't sheared, leading to an impending disaster of valves meeting pistons. Should the inlet and exhaust cam lobes on No.1 cylinder be roughly parallel at TDC on these cars - same as a petrol engine? There's no timing mark at all on the intermediate pulley. I assume this only drives the oil pump on a diseasel, so it probably doesn't matter??
Pics for illustration Cambelt mark doesn't line up with locking pin installed. Alternator on the left of the engine Other ancillaries on the right Marked up the intermed shaft pulley, but think I probably don't need to
The cam pulley will be on a taper with no woodruff key. That is why the cam locking tool is used. This tool sets the cam in the correct position with the pulley slack, allowing the tensioning of the timing belt without it rotating the cam and altering valve timing. Once tensioned the pulley is tightened. These engines have very little clearance so it needs to be correct. I would ignore the tipex marks and do it the correct way now that you have the tools. It always beats me why folk bother with new tipex markings when there are factory markings to use. Presumably the tipex abusers believe VAG did not know what they were doing when they built the engines. You never know Mike, maybe the timing is slightly off and causing the running issues you are experiencing.
